Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-density ITO sintered body, an indium oxide powder and a tin oxide powder which are used as materials thereof, a method of manufacturing such a high-density ITO sintered body, and a method of manufacturing such powders.
Development of display devices, such as liquid crystal display devices, has increased the demand for transparent conductive films. An ITO (indium oxide, tin oxide) film is extensively used among various types, as the transparent conductive film for the liquid crystal device because of its low resistance and high transparency. The ITO transparent conductive film is generally formed by sputtering because of the simplicity of the operability thereof, particularly, by sputtering which employs an ITO sintered body target. Development of color liquid crystal display devices, adoption of the active matrix drive and advance of miniaturization of the devices are recent trends in this field. These have increased the demand for formation of high performance ITO transparent conductive films at a low temperature.
The present invention relates to an ITO sintered body target used when a transparent conductive film is formed by sputtering, an indium oxide powder and a tin oxide powder which are the materials thereof, a method of manufacturing such an ITO sintered body target and a method of manufacturing such powders.